Trials and Investigations
by NukeMyWaffle
Summary: L has had Them at his side for as long as he could remember and has taken comfort from their constant presence. Only They know him better than Watari and can defuse him at every turn. But what happens if They don't stay a "They" after a slip up of L's?
1. Pwned By a Girl

Okay, this--_this_ was stronger than me. _Much_ stronger than I would like to admit but it was fun to do once i got started working on it.

I got this bizarro idea about what would happen if out beloved L had someone at his side that he never really noticed before and when he does, what would happen. Well, needless to say, this is what that bizarro idea turned into.

It _is_ a little AU...okay, possibly even _more_ AU than I've done...maybe but it works. I have made it work and it does work. Anyhoo.....

**AGES:**

-Light: 18

-L: 24

-Near/Lyserg: 14

-Matt/Jun: 19

-Hotaru/Naruto/Mello/Hao/etc: 15

-Sai/Neji/Rock Lee/Tenten: 16

-The Inners: 25-26

-Haruka/Michiru: 27-28

-Mamoru: 30!

* * *

Sailor Moon/Shaman King/Death Note

Naruto/Bleach/Karas/InuYasha

**"Trials and Investigations"**

**-**

**Chapter 1:**

**"Pwned by a Girl"**

**-**

For as long as he would care to remember, L had never really been on his own. There had always been one person beside him that _wasn't_ Watari. This lone person was more like L's babysitter than a friend, a fellow investigator, looking up whatever he needed on the fly and supplying information collected in their perfect memory. Of course, this person had been brought to L's attention by Watari earlier in life and they had been at L's side ever since.

The company this other presented was nice, comforting but their absence left L uneasy, more on edge. It was probably for the sheer fact that L was used to them being in the room, no less than anywhere from 1 foot to 10 feet away at ant time. This person was so apart of L's surroundings that he'd probably get fixated on their absence, rather than on a case.

As sad and pathetic as it possibly sounds to everyone else, it sounded even more so as well as _depressing_ when L thought about it and he couldn't help _but_ think about it. After all, they had been together for _such_ a long time.

"This is ridiculous." L said aloud. "Why the hell did you have to come into my life?"

"I thought we agreed to _not_ take your sugar downs out on me anymore. You _do_ remember what happened _last_ time you did so, don't you?"

Oh, he remembered, all right. His body _ached_ at the memory and it was only because he had been _stupid_ enough to strike out at them when he had been in a bad mood. The sugar down and the unpleasant turn in a previous case had made it too much for him to keep bottled up and he had then lashed out at the most convienant person…and had his arm broken effortlessly as his repayment after getting knocked around a couple times, because he had chosen to hit them again since they had only fought back.

"I'm not going to hit you this time." L replied, half scowling at their back.

"That's good to know."

"Is it?" L asked darkly.

"I'd hate to be forced into breaking your arm again just because you wouldn't learn your lesson the first time. You know me, I don't like hurting others but I will, if left with no alternative."

"Yes, I know." L muttered, wondering why they just _had_ to have their back to him. It was the umpteenth time that _week_ that L had looked over and only saw their back instead of their profile or their face. It was beginning to grate his nerves. "Is there a specific _reason_ why you have your back to me?"

"This way it's easier for you to look over my shoulder when curiosity gets the better of you. You don't have to lean over the top of my laptop or practically fall into my lap to look at the screen."

"It makes me feel like you're ignoring me." The detective admitted with a grumble. "You know I hate being ignored."

"Yes, I do but I assure you that I'm not. Unless you're purposefully being absolutely ridiculous, my MP3 player won't leave my bag."

And whenever he _did_ get "ridiculous" about something, they'd just fish out that little device and put the headphones on to drown him out with whatever was on there. It wouldn't be the first time they had done that and it wasn't going to be the last either but so far, during the Kira case, they had yet to drown him out.

"You do realize that it's not fair to have you be the _only_ one in the room and only have your _back_ to talk to." L retorted, trying to pick a fight. He wanted to argue, to get them to react. However, they had been with him long enough to know how to defuse each tactic he had.

"My apologies but it seems foolish to complain when your back was to mine until you turned around in your seat."

Damn, he got defused again. Maybe he _should_ just get physical already. It would get them to react at long last but having various bruises and a broken arm might be hard to handle while on such a bizarre case.

"Then would you get off your ass and get me some cake?" L asked, still trying to pick a fight.

"L, do yourself a favor and consider what _day_ it is before I get up and 'remind' you myself because I'm not in the world's best mood to be sniping at."

What…_day_ it was? Of course L knew what _day_ it was. It was—_oh_…yeah, _bad_ time to pick a fight. He would _definitely_ pay for it if he continued.

"You've been at that damn thing for over 4 hours." L replied, advancing from a different angle. "Would it be too much to inquire the fetching of a piece of cake for me? Please?"

A plate lightly scraped the tabletop, being pushed into view. "You can have mine. I'm not in the mood for such a sweet confection at the moment."

L got up from his seat and shuffled over to his companion. He looked at the slice of cake, then at the diligent worker who had pushed it aside. "You didn't touch it?"

"Concerned about my germs, are we?"

"No, it just seems unusual, even for you. You usually take a bite before declaring something's too sweet for you." L replied as he looked at the untouched serving. He looked at his colleague. "Are you sure you're all right, that it's only the time that has you feeling out of sorts?"

"Why does it matter to you? It's not like I can't be replaced."

L did _not_ like that answer. He grabbed the back of their chair, jerked them away from the table and turned them to face him, his hands on the arm rests. This sudden reaction was beyond L himself but it seemed to surprise his company even more.

"Let's get _one_ thing straight, shall we?" L growled unhappily at them. "You are not a teacup. You cannot be so easily replaced. Someone might take your place, your spot, your position but they wouldn't be _you_. It has always been _you_ at my side when Watari is gone. It has _always_ been you who kept a watchful eye over me during these investigations. And I will _insure_ that it will _always_ be _you_ that I look over to see when I need the reassurance that I'm not on some damn rabbit hunt. Do I make myself _clear_?"

L was only greeted with a put off look. "Have your cake, sugar freak, before I put you in a straight jacket. Your Bipolar attitude was cute for the first 5 minutes. Now, it's going to put you in traction. Do I make _myself_ clear?"

"_I_ am the one supposed to be in _charge_ here, not _you_." L growled, gripping the arms of their chair tighter in restraint.

"Then _act_ like it, _Lawliet_."

That growl in return sent L over the edge. He knew better than to be violent but he had _other_ options open to him. He grabbed their chin and kissed them firm and deep on the mouth. He felt them stiffen from pure shock but L…_L_ had to admit, they had _really_ soft lips…and such _lovely_ skin. There were no blemishes, no visible imperfections and nothing to distract from how _satiny_ it felt under his fingers.

As L pulled back, he realized that his company had only been a "they" to keep from getting too attached. They weren't a "he" for a guy would've pushed him off and delivered a right cross but they were always a "they" and not even a non-gender specific "he" either. It was because of _one_ reason:

_She_ was simply one _hell_ of a beautiful creature.

Now that L realized in entirety that he had been working with such a young woman this entire time, he couldn't help but take in every detail about her.

She couldn't be any older than 15 or 16 years old but she looked older with her silky black hair pinned up, out of the way and her long bangs pushed to one side. Her amethyst eyes were framed by glasses but had been lined with black and accented with a solid dark purple line on her upper lid. Her lips were a soft rouge and she had 6 piercings in each ear with one in her right nostril. Her long nails were painted a dark, shimmery blue with silver metallic starbursts studded with white rhinestones in the middle. She had a silver ring that seemed to match the soaring bird pin at her left temple, since they bore the same red stone on her left middle finger and a gold ring on her right middle finger, a sky blue bracelet of prayer beads around her wrist and a circular tattoo on her palm.

She wore a black ribbon around her throat with the bow in the front, a blue crystal necklace and a gold star. She was dressed in a faded blue baby doll top dotted with owls, a pair of black capris slacks and a pair of black stiletto cut-away pumps. She had a claw like design on her left outer ankle and a type of swirl on her right bicep. She wore a gold anklet on her right ankle and she sat like a lady, one ankle tucked behind the other. She was simply _beautiful_.

How come he never saw her like this before?

Wait…what was her _name_?

Okay, that was pathetic—even for _him_. He ought to know her name. They had been working together for—what, 6, 7 or 8 _years_ and he didn't even know her _name_? Wasn't it 'Cecile'?

"It's 'Hotaru'."

L looked at her. "What?"

"My name. It's 'Hotaru'." She answered mildly. "You were mumbling under your breath, 'her name, her name—what is her name?' like we hadn't been introduced 6 and a half years ago. And it's not like Watari doesn't use my name when we're alone."

"Then where did I get 'Cecile'?" The detective asked.

"It's my 'other' name, you know, like 'Ryuzaki'." Hotaru answered, using air quotes. "The story is that I'm a petite, baby-faced 20-year-old cursed with the fact that I look like I'm 5 years younger than I really am. I'm a profiler, one you recruited from the FBI's own BAU candidate lists. You got the idea from the shoujo manga called 'Midnight Secretary'. And I was an idiot to buy you the damn set."

"Cecile Kanzaki!" L realized with a smile.

Hotaru sighed softly. "That's right. You _are_ the one who came up with it, Lawliet. You shouldn't act so damn surprised."

L didn't know how to respond to that. He was starting to go over all of their conversations they had had, even the ones when she had been taking care of him after he had lashed out at her and she returned the favor. It struck him as bizarre on how she worded things in the past, like saying something about immortality didn't always pay and the like. Watari would also make some comment like "What does it feel like to live forever?" and Hotaru would give a response along the lines of "tiresome after the first decade or so."

And it struck L as odd that he had never realized that Hotaru was a girl, even more so than the way she had been talking. Of course, Watari had chosen someone to take his place and beginning the training with someone so young and along side the Great Detective was an excellent way to prepare that replacement. However, L didn't want Hotaru to replace Watari. For some reason, it displeased him to know that she could be _stuck_ in this life when she could do so much more.

L pulled back from leaning on the arms of her chair. "Mind if I watch you work while I eat?"

"If that would make you feel better, then of course." Hotaru replied pushing her glasses higher up on her nose. "You'll want to bring up chair and leave the plate on the counter. You're starting to shake. You know you conditioned your body to live off sugar but not to handle the extended periods of time when you're without it."

L looked at one of his hands. He was shaking but it was so fine that he hadn't noticed. That attested to how well Hotaru saw things and knew him. "Yes, I see that you're right."

Hotaru pulled herself back to her laptop and resumed working, like L hadn't pulled her away to begin with. L got another office chair and wheeled it over before perching himself upon the seat. He picked up the fork on the plate and cut the first bite off the cake, watching the various windows popping up and collapsing as Hotaru merely glanced at the full page before transcribing the information down on a Word Document with surprising speed and efficiency.

L's eyes wandered from her hands to her lips, remebering how soft they felt against his. He had kissed her without thinking. He had given away his _first kiss_ without even considering that he could have been kissing a _guy_…but perhaps at the back of his mind, Hotaru had always been a girl but he referred to her as "they" in order to not be distracted.

However, that was now proving to be the only way he could have gotten so much done. He sighed, dropping his head with the fork tongs in his mouth and the utensil upside down. "I can't believe I just screwed myself over."

"What do you mean?" Hotaru asked, not stopping the task at hand.

"I just realized you were a girl." L admitted, a soft blush coming to his cheeks.

"You wouldn't be the first to have disregarded my gender, even subconsciously." Hotaru replied.

"While it's not your gender I have a problem with, it's the fact that you've been at my side for 6 and a half _years_ and I always referred to you as 'they' in my head and out loud. I've been a complete ass for almost 7 years and I even hurt you but not once did I think I was doing it to a girl." L explained, watching her long, delicate fingers fly over the keys. It made him wonder how it would feel to have those fingers woven into his hair, those long nails leaving marks down his back as he—

"Goddammit!" L snapped suddenly with a growl. He was turning into a horny teenager.

_**POKE**_

L was so surprised by the contact that he didn't really register it at first. All he knew was that something hit his right temple. It took a few minutes for him to realize Hotaru had _poked_ the Great Detective in the head.

"What the hell was _that_ for?" L asked, slightly annoyed.

"Feeling better?" She asked, not looking away from her work.

L shut up for a moment and gave it some thought. "Oddly enough, yes. What did you do?"

"I screwed with your perceptions, basically numbing them so you can get used to my being a girl gradually. It'll wear off over time." Hotaru answered, totally unphase. "Mori does thesimilar thing with a senbon when I get a new toe ring. It's so I don't mess with it. I merely did the same with your brain chemistry."

"And that required a poke to my temple?' L inquired, now fully interested.

"I could have done it without touching you but since you were having a tissy _right_ next to my _ear_, I thougtht it would be best to preserve my sensitive hearing by distracting you."

_Well, Lawliet._ L thought to himself as he put a bite of cake into his mouth. _You've met your match and have been put in your place. It's not Kira or any other target. It's the _only_ woman who's never been offended by you being an ass. Congratulations—you've been outdone and outsmarted by the opposite sex._

Those words of wisdom made L realize that he had said everything but what _needed_ to be said. And he had to say it before he forgot and ended up doing something stupid to offend her again. He looked at Hotaru, setting the fork on his plate and turned to face her.

"I apologize."

Hotaru stopped typing and looked at him. "I beg your pardon? Did Lawliet the World's Greatest Detective _just_ apologize to someone less than himself?"

L scowled at her. "You are not less than me. If anything, we are on the same level. You often see things that I don't right away."

"It's what I'm trained to do, Lawliet. Often, all you get is that one chance to see everything before someone comes along to change that." Hotaru responded, going back to her computer. L leaned in close to her ear.

"Does it bother you to be working with me?" He murmured. Hotaru put his hand on his face, surprising the detective, and pushed him back.

"Observe my personal space and respect it before I severely hurt you in ways you can't even fathom." Hotaru warned, pushing him back until his back touched the back of his chair. "And no, I won't spare you. It wouldn't take long to get Near or Mello up to speed and have me at their side."

"You're no fun." L said around her palm and _God_, if her skin didn't smell like dewberries. It had to be the lotion she kept in her travel kit and oh, it made her skin soft.

Hotaru took back her hand, much to L's disappointment. "Just eat your cake, Lawliet. I've got work to finish before the SPK arrive in Japan and they need the progress report sent to them _before_ they get here."

"Do those 3 honestly have to come?" L asked with a slight pout. "Near won't leave your lap and Matt smells like cigarette smoke."

"And what about Mello?" Hotaru asked, knowing there was one missing complaint.

"He agrees with me too much."

"Let's see, you're jealous of a 14-year-old, you don't like the fact that Matt smokes and Mello's too agreeable for your tastes." She said, getting L to slightly scowl at her with the fork in his mouth. "Aren't you supposed to be the one setting the bar?"

"When you say it like that, you make it sound like I'm pathetically selfish." L sighed heavily, the fork not leaving his mouth. She gave him a side glance that said "And?" quite clearly. "Don't say it like that and don't look at me like that. Technically speaking, you're _mine_—not theirs and I don't see why the hell I have to share you with them. Near has Gevanni and Mello has Matt. That means you're supposed to stay by me and not tend to their egos. Just mine."

"Watari's your aid, Lawliet." Hotaru reminded. "I'm merely a trainee."

"For 6 and half years?" L retorted. "According to most countries, we'd be married, you and I. Just another 6 months or so and we'd be commonlaw by the States' standards."

"Congratulations. You've noticed I was a girl and become possessive all in one swoop. You rival Sasuke Uchiha." Hotaru retorted, not looking away from her computer screen.

L blinked at her, feeling a bit angry. "Sasuke Uchiha? You're comparing _me_ to _that_ asshole?"

Hotaru arched an eyebrow as she looked at him. "I never mentioned Sasuke before." She gave him a slight scowl. "You're just assuming that he's an asshole from what I said. And while you're right, I'm the only one who gets to call him that. He can't strike me without getting hurt before he actually makes his move."

"Preemptive strike?" L asked curiously, putting another bite of cake in his mouth.

"No, he's just too predictable."

Too predictable? "When you're older than dirt, _everything's_ too predictable."

"Not necessarily." Hotaru remarked, not looking away from her work. "It's an old clan rivalry that sparks it. I usually can't tell if he's going to be nice at the start of something but it usually ends with him being an ass and attempting to strike me. He can land a couple blows but most of the time, I can have him on the ground without really trying in no time flat."

"Am _I_ too predictable?" L inquired in a low voice.

"Sometimes, if only to me."

"Really?"

Hotaru smiled ruefully at his minor disbelief. "What you did 5 minutes ago wasn't something I saw coming, not from you."

L felt a bit of pride swell in his chest. "I _am_ supposed to be unpredictable, after all. It keeps the bad guys unhinged and the good guys on top."

"Okay, that's it." Hotaru muttered, closing her eyes. "I am _never_ buying you another manga again."

L looked at her innocently, his fork upside down in his mouth again. "Why not?"

* * *

Welll, _that_ was interesting....

**Hotaru:** Why do _I_ have to put up with Le Sugar Freak?

B/c it was either you deal with _L_ or _Misa_.

**Hotaru:** ............I'll take the junk food junkie.

**L:** Should i feel lucky or insulted?

-Shrugs- Ya got me. I'm just the writer.

Anyway.....

-Bows- plz read and review!


	2. Too Tired to Care

TIs Chapter 2!

**Harpygirl91:** Yeah, I read it on one mange to where the secretary saw the vamp chick her boss was seeing and then it became too soap opera-ish for me so I stopped reading it. If I want drama, I'll chat with my sisters.

**Dark Queen Helba:** Okay, read above and add "I blame AngelicFlash from Deviant Art" after that. She's the own who introduce me and Kazi-kun to it and OMFG--I HAD to put it in this story. It seemed to be the kind of thing only L would read, for various reasons.

Okay, as a warning, this is short for a reason and is kinda part 2 of chap 1.

* * *

Sailor Moon/Shaman King/Death Note

Naruto/Bleach/Karas/InuYasha

**"Trials and Investigations"**

**-**

**Chapter 2:**

**"Too Tired To Care"**

**-**

A wisened hand on her shoulder jerked Hotaru awake. She pushed back from the table and looked up at the aged aura of the man standing next to her chair, brushing her bangs away from her face. She didn't recognize the aura right away, making her go for her glasses. She took them from on top of her closed laptop and put them on to get a proper look at the man.

"Oh, Watari." Hotaru mumbled, feeling a little foolish for not recognizing the aged man sooner. "I'm-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep. I was…I was just…"

"It's all right, my dear. You've been working in an artifical enviroment for several days straight without any sleep." Watari replied as she took off her glasses and wiped the sleep from her eyes. "While we appreciate the effort you have put forth, you're no use to us if you run yourself into the ground. We don't need you to sacrifice too much for us. We're not like _them_ after all."

"I was just resting my eyes, honest." Hotaru informed him, putting her glasses back on.

"Did you finish the dossier for Mello and Near?" Watari inquired of the girl. Hotaru unplugged the small flash drive from her laptop and capped the sensitive end of the drive. She put it into Watari's hand and felt him put his other on her shoulder. "Now, go on home and get some sleep. I'll call you if there are any developments but you need to be on top of your game. Go get some rest and come back tomorrow."

"But Lawliet--" Hotaru looked over at L, finding him on the sofa in his bizarre sitting posture. His cheek was on his knees and his eyes were closed in a brief moment of sleep. There was an empty cake plate and a empty coffee cup on its side on the coffee table. "…has passed out from a sugar drop."

Watari chuckled fondly at the weary sigh Hotaru gave. She shook her head, muttering something about strawberry addicted detectives and sugar withdrawals.

"Go home, my dear. Get some sleep." Watari kindly instructed. "It appears we don't need you for the rest of the night."

"Just…just leave the dishes for me. I'll wash them tomorrow." Hotaru replied, pulling the power cord from her laptop, unplugging the cord and packing both the cord and laptop away in a black shoulder technology bag. She pulled it into her lap and secured all the straps. She got to her feet and shrugged on her coat before shouldering the strap. "I'll…I'll see you later then. You _will_ call me if something comes up, even if it's just 20 minutes after I leave?"

"Yes. Yes, of course." Watari reassured. He patted her shoulder. "Don't worry. I've been handling L before you wandered through our doors, my dear. He'll survive without you long enough for you to get some much deserved sleep."

Hotaru wasn't too sure is she should leave L alone with Watari…or it would be more accurate to say she didn't want to leave _Watari_ alone with a cranky _L_. When it came to managing L and his childish moods, Hotaru was the one who could get Lawliet to sit down, be quiet and focus with very little effort. Hell, she could tell when L was lying and she often gave him a scolding look or flick to the ear that, surprisingly, went unnoticed by the rest of the investigation team.

Hotaru took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes as she left the headquarters behind. She didn't have to go far for her apartment. It wasn't her real residence but it was more a secondary space if needed and it was her current home away from home. It was just a place she went to sleep. And the building was less than 3 blocks away.

Too tired to take the stairs, Hotaru stepped into the elevator and pressed her floor's button. The cage shuddered slightly as it began to move upward. Hotaru leaned against the back and rubbed her eyes again, her glasses still in her hand. She couldn't afford to skip sleeping for much longer than a few days anymore, not without being outside. As a sage, she was strongest outside where she could pull on nature's chakra. Being inside for several days on end was a good way to wear herself out.

The elevator reached her floor and she pushed the cage door aside. She took her keys from her coat pocket and selected her key as she walked to her door. Unlocking the door, Hotaru stepped into her dark apartment and pulled the door closed behind her. She locked it without looking and kicked off her shoes. She set her bag down and took off her coat, dropping it on top of her bag.

Hotaru didn't even bother going to the bedroom. She shuffled over to the couch and just dropped onto the cushions. She pulled a throw over her and dragged a pillow over to rest her head on. She didn't know where her glasses went and she didn't care. She was tired.

She was going to sleep.

* * *

**Hotaru**: Thank God for sugar downs. Maybe I can actually relax for 5 minutes.

Well, sleep now b/c work's coming up.


	3. Wake Up Call, pt 1

Here's chapter 3! An' yes, I know it's overdue.

You'll get a spoiler or two in this chapter.

Reviews:

**Dark Queen Helba:** "Them" refers to a group of people who will come up later. "Nature chakra" is also known as "Sage chakra" and 'Taru is a sage in my stories. And how Hotaru came to meet Watari and L will be coming up as well, just not at the moment but soon.

**Harpygirl91:** _Especially_ when you're L. For whatever reason, I can see him getting violent when he's gone too long without something sugary.

* * *

Sailor Moon/Shaman King/Death Note

Naruto/Bleach/Karas/InuYasha

**"Trials and Investigations"**

**-**

**Chapter 3:**

**"Wake Up Call, pt 1"**

**-**

"C'mon, she's been working nonstop on whatever task you throw her way. Let the poor kid get some rest. She's only 15, after all."

"_I don't _care_! Just get her over here or I'll put both your asses behind bars!"_

Aiber looked at his cell phone after L had hung up at him. He sighed as he closed the flip phone and pocketed it. "You know, he sure gets all sorts of cranky when she's not around. From the way he keeps getting' pissy without her there, you'd think she was his personal brand of heroine or something."

Wedy laughed softly. "Are you just _now_ beginning to see it?"

"What do you mean?" Aiber asked as the elevator came to a stop on the appropriate floor. "The way he gets pissy when her back's to him or the way he gets even worse when she's not where he expects her to be?"

"He stopped calling her 'they'."

Aiber gave it a moment of thought and smirked as he pushed the elevator's gate open, letting Wedy step off the transport first. "Actually, I _did_ notice that when he first brought her into the conversation. He even used that _name_ he gave her. 'Bring Cecile back here as soon as possible'." Aiber chuckled, putting his hands in his pockets. "I wonder what happened last night to change how he sees her."

"You maybe good, Aiber, but you're not very resourceful, are you?" Wedy lightly teased, getting a raised eyebrow. "All it takes is a few questions and a little girl time."

"Because women share everything." Aiber clicked his tongue at the thief. "That's cheating, you know."

"It's only cheating because she manipulated you into working for Ryuzaki without too much effort." Wedy teased the con man. However, that was how _she_ came into L's employ as well. While L had threatened them, Hotaru used honey coated words rolled in sugar before letting them taste the bitter medicine it had hidden.

Aiber sighed again and looked out at the surrounding buildings. "Of all the places she could have gotten to escape him for a few moments, she picks the one that lets her be within walking distance. Is it just the convience and the 'in case of emergencies' that has her living so close?"

"I believe it has something to do with how she alone can defuse any fight he starts and manages his often jumping attention span. She handles him better than Watari, surprisingly." Wedy commented, taking a key ring from her pocket with a plastic gold fish key chain on it.

"And it's more like the old man's taking care of her than he is of Ryuzaki." Aiber added as they stopped in front of their desired door.

Wedy put one of the keys into the lock and easily unlcoked the door. She opened the door and Aiber motioned her to go in first, out of manners, pulling the door closed behind him. The apartment was darker than it should have been, given that the sun was up, but Wedy easily pocketed the key, toed off her shoes and took off her coat, hanging it on the coat rack.

She stepped out of the small entry way and her foot brushed something hard on the floor. Kneeling, Wedy picked up what she had brushed and stood again, realizing that she was holding Hotaru's glasses. Aiber just strode passed the thief, going to the windows. He opened the curtains as Wedy hooked Hotaru's glasses to her belt as a temporary measure. With the sunlight filling the living room, it was easy to see all the plants that were in the apartment, providing a warm enviroment with the pale, pale blue walls and white ceiling.

Wedy went to check the bedroom, to see if Hotaru was still in bed or in the shower as Aiber half strolled to sit on the couch. He stopped and looked at what was already curled up like a human cat on the cushions. Seeing such an innocent sight, made him smile softly and almost regret having to disturb it in order to keep his hide out of prison. He took his cell phone from his pocket and took a picture to preserve it for the future.

With the way L was acting, Aiber wanted a little something to keep the Great Detective distracted from the idea of putting him and Wedy in jail.

Aiber pocketed his phone again and put his hand on the throw covered shoulder, giving it a gentle shake. "Oh, Ms. Kanzaki—it's time to wake up."

Hotaru gave a soft, sleepy groan as she opened her eyes, coming to the waking world. She rolled over a little and looked up at Aiber with groggy amethyst eyes. "Thierry? What are you doing at my apartment?"

"Good morning, Hotaru." Aiber greeted, smiling softly at the use of his name. "It's just a bit after 8 in the morning. Watari said you had only left around 2:30. I'd hate to send you back into the lions' den with only 5 hours of sleep but L's getting rather impatient. I don't think he'd be up to letting you get another 5 seconds, let alone a couple more well-deserved hours."

"Did anything happen while I was away?" Hotaru asked, sitting up. Aiber took note of the outfit and the jewelry she was still wearing. He assumed she had just been too tired to get any farther.

"Only L's unhappy little tantrum." Aiber said, offering her his hand. Hotaru took it and let him help her to her feet. She swayed a little but managed to stay upright. "He's gotten worse than the last time you left to get some sleep. After 6 and a half years, one would think that he's have noticed that you're not the insomniac that he is."

"He was dozing when I left." Hotaru replied as she shuffled to her room. "Have you seen my glasses?"

"Wedy has them." Aiber answered, folding up the throw.

"Start some green tea for me, please?" The girl asked around a muffled yawn.

"Not a chance—we're taking you for coffee when you've changed your clothes and gotten a shower. You need a shock to the system kind of wake up with the mood L's in."

"Who's at the hotel with L right now?" Hotaru asked, stopping to look at Aiber over her shoulder. "Is Watari alone with him?"

"It sounded like the NPA were arriving." Aiber responded, getting a soft groan from Hotaru.

"Right, coffee and breakfast to go." She muttered as she went into her room. "Would you at least water my plants while I'm in the shower?"

"Not a problem." Aiber agreed with a nod. Hotaru shut the door and Aiber sighed softly, pitying the girl. "The kid's gonna have more ulcers than Yagami's old man if L keeps this kind of demand up. She's too young to be having stress related problems."

* * *

Wow, this is so damn classic. *L* is so damn unattentive to himself that it's funny.

It's a surprise, however, that Aiber and Wedy have been to Hotaru's apartment and are trusted to wander around it.

Well, I guess not THAT much of a surprise, since all of them DO work for L.

Well, Read and review plz!


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